Category Archives: Charente Maritime Bike Routes

This is a short bike route between the little town of St Savinien and the larger town Saintes. At just over 18 km this is a route suitable for all abilities and can be done in just over an hour… although we would recommend you spend an afternoon and stop in some of the pretty little villages along the way!

St Savinien

St Savinien is a lovely little town in central Charente Maritime – the town is perched above a very pretty river.

If you have youngsters with you the park area is great fun in the summer with miniature boats, swings and a café.

Taillebourg

This is another river based small town with lots of history and architecture.

The roads between are fairly major, and quieter routes can be found, for example there is a disused railway track used as a cycle path near Taillebourg.

Following the river as much as possible will take you straight into Saintes

Saintes

Saintes is a busy tourist destination, due to its many places of interest to visit and its attractive ‘centre ville’.

Wander around the narrow streets of the St Pierre district – the heart of the old town but now full of chic shops and an array of restaurants and cafes.

Also numerous parks and river walks can be explored, take a river trip on one of the many boats that travel along the Charente and on the outskirts the shopping/commercial areas are vast.

Central to the Charente Maritime it easily reached from any direction. There is a daily market, but, on the first Monday of every month they close the streets for the ‘larger’ market – worth a visit. Visiting Saintes is to explore 2000 years of history and the town retains its rich history and it a world famous centre for art and culture.

La Cote Sauvage (The wild Coast) This route is a ‘no brainer’ for me, the sea, the sand and the pine forest. Well marked, flat routes and you can enjoy the Charente Maritime sunshine.

Pack a beach towel, a picnic and your camera and spend the whole day exploring this idyllic part of the coast.

This is a family friendly tourist area so, as you might expect, it’s well catered with good signage, cafes, shops and toilets. However, the further north you head around the coast, the less busy it becomes and little side paths can lead to a vast stretch of deserted sandy beach.

The Estuary Route is a 56 km round trip, but one of my favourites. If you’re in no rush, and are happy to spend the day in the saddle, then this route has some great places to visit, lunch and photograph. You can also pick any part of the route for shorter rides.

This is my starting point in Port Maubert (St Fort sur Gironde). Plenty of parking if you’re driving and wanting to leave the car somewhere. As you head towards Saint Romain sur Gironde on your right you’ll see the Fanal (lantern) de Beaumont…

… Great little detour for panoramic views of the estuary, but it’s a fairly steep climb through the village of St Romain and access to the look-out point is from the back of the hill. Keep going and the next stopping point is Mortagne Port, there are several restaurants/cafes here, but the village itself is up the cliffs – a steep ride! But worth it….

Talmont sur Gironde next – (we like this one!) – ‘perched’ on this rocky outcrop, the village is a member of the Les Plus Beaux Villages de France (“The most beautiful villages of France”) association. The church of St Radegonde was built in 1094,

The pedestrianised streets are packed with artisan shops and cafes, which makes this a great place to stop and explore.

After Talmont the cycle path stays on the coast and you head up to Meschers sur Gironde…

This is a largish town with supermarkets, shops, beaches and a popular tourist destination thanks to the cliff dwellings. Market days are very busy and it’s very easy to spend several hours soaking it all up. Just past Meschers there are several coves with lovely secluded beaches.

Each one has its own café, shop and toilets, but they are never as busy as the larger beaches of St George de Didonne, Royan and La Palmyre. Having said that the roads in this northern part of the route are much busier than where we started, and you’ll note that I haven’t paid a lot of attention to the ‘route’ itself. There are designated cycle paths for some sections and quiet back roads, but as long as you have the sea on your left there is no chance of getting lost!

You’ve earned a rest here because if you’ve done the whole route that’s 28km! But now I turn and head home. Hope you enjoy. For more photos and ideas please visit my Charente Maritime Pintrest page.